Improvement in railway-frogs



F... 1 1. BRYANT. RAILWAY-noes.

Patented July 24, 187-7.

fittest.- %Mw/ EMERY HIBRYANT, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAV-FRQG S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 193,363, dated July 24, 1877; application filed March 13, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMERYH. BRYANT, of New Bedford, county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Frogs, of which the following is a specification This invention relates to certain improvements in railroad-frogs; and consists of certain arrangements whereby the curved wingrails, distance-pieces, and a rail-point of peculiar construction, are held in place by clamps having set-screws that press against the sides of the rails and hold the. different parts together without the use of bolts passing through any of its parts.

The advantages claimed for this form of construction are, that the liability to accident from the breaking of bolts caused by the concussion of passing trains is avoided that there is greater elasticity to the tread of the wheels than when the parts are held rigidly inplace by bolts; and that the frog can be easily repaired in its place on the track.

The nature and operation of my invention will be clearly understood by reference to the drawings accompanying this specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing the uniting-rails A A, point E, distance-pieces H H and H, wing-rails A A, held in place by the clamps F F F, and set-screws c c, c c, c c. The set screws are not threaded into the clamps, but pass loosely through holes provided for that purpose, and have nuts that fit binto notches in the filling B, as shown at Fig. 2 is. a vertical section taken on the line as m, and shows all the parts in position.

Fig. 3 shows the bed-plate G with projections at the corners, turned to form the clamps F F F F. It also shows the position of the point E on the plate G and at,

h is shown the end of the point, turned down to form the lip h, that extends below the surface of the plate G and also egrtends laterally beyond the sides of the point, so as to be covered by the flanges of the wingrails A A.

Fig. 4 shows the distance-piece H, with notches to receive the fish-plate and bolts.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken in the line 0 o, and shows the position of the point E, with the lip h extending under the rails A A, and against the end of the baseplate G. t

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the point E, with lip h.

From this description it will be seen that each piece is held securely in its place by the pressure of the set-screws on the sides of the throat of the rails on the inner edges, while their outer edges extend under the turned edge of the clamp F", and is mortised to receive the nut to which the set-screws c c are threaded.

It is frequently necessary to move the wingrails of a frog to accommodate it to the-expansion orcontraction of the adjoining rails. With the frog herein described the set-screws may be turned back, when the rails will be loosened, and may be moved to the place desired, and again secured by turning up the set-screws, the spring of the rail allowing it to be brought firmly against the distancepieces.

I am aware that the clamping-bar with the ends turned to hold a wedge have long been in use.

I am also aware that the distance-piece for keeping the rails a proper distance apart is not new; and that wedges placed between the flanges of the clamping-bar and the rails are in common use; but I do not know ofrails A A, distance-pieces H H, bed-plate 5 such distance-pieces or Wedges being used, G with clamps F F, filling-blocks B B B B, wherein they are not dependent upon bolts and set-screws c 0, c c, substantially as and for passing 7 through them, for the strength and the purpose specified. permanency of the frog; therefore,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure BRYANT by Letters Patent, is Witnesses: s

In a railroad-frog, the rail-point E, with lip S. F. CLARK, h, operating in combination With the wing- WM. B. SHERMAN. 

